The Final Chapter
by SS Dispatch
Summary: Immediately following the end of the curse, this will chronicle the lives of Belle and the Prince beginning first and foremost with the Prince meeting Maurice properly for a family dinner.
1. The Prince and the Princess

**Author's Note: My original intent in making this story was to give the Prince a real name. Disney actually refuses to give him an official name, although some of their products call him Adam. I also just never liked that name Adam for him, so I chose to rename him. If you aren't happy about it, that's okay. Just please don't message me or review just to say I got the name wrong. It was on purpose, not a mistake ;)  
**

* * *

"Once more, before bed?" The prince asked gently as he stood just outside of Belle's room in the east wing. He was still in his clothing that was tattered from his battle with Gaston, and still not totally believing all that had happened just an hour or two ago. Life was going to be completely different now.

She laughed softly before granting his wish, leaning up to kiss him one more time. It was an innocent peck, but to the prince it was an invigorating reminder. Not only that he was human again, but that he was immensely happy with this woman. "Now enough, to bed with you Prince — " She cut herself off, seeming suddenly confused. She looked up at him, an expression of mystification on her face. "Y-you never told me your name." She had only ever called him the Beast, and sometimes the prince. But no real name had ever been said. How could that be?

He sighed softly, "It's David. Prince David, like my father before me. I'm not particularly fond of the name, so I never mentioned it."

It made sense to Belle then. Of course he wouldn't want to share the name of the man who had hurt him so much in his life. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. And you've no need to be afraid of him anymore. If David is your name, then David you shall be." She said kindly, holding his hands in hers. "I think it's a lovely name. It fits you well. It means 'beloved' I believe. And that's truly what you are. You are our beloved." She didn't want to take full possession of him as her beloved. After all, everyone in the castle loved him. And his mother had too. She could not take sole ownership over the love felt for him.

"I'm starting to suspect your wisdom is beyond your years. Are you sure you're not under some sort of spell yourself? " He said playfully, making her laugh. "Truly. You amaze me." He said on a more serious note.

"You act as if you are not a marvel yourself. Look at you, your ability to change. To find your true happiness. I would say that's pretty remarkable." She said truthfully.

"We work well together then. Two people who overcame incredible odds just to be together, yes?" He said, trying to hide the fact that he was stifling a yawn. She gently nudged him, "Go on, go to bed already." She insisted.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in the west wing?" He offered.

"Yes, I'm sure. I think we both need at least a night to recover from all of this. You most of all. Dying and coming back to life can really take a toll." She smirked.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but … just one more?"

She stood on her tip toes, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him for a few moments before letting him go.

* * *

 _A Week Later_

"Father was hoping to come by later this evening." Belle said softly to her prince as the two sat reading in the front hall before the fireplace. It was finally summer on the estate after having been locked in an eternal winter, so there was no more need for the fireplace. But it was still where they liked to read together. Now that life was a bit calmer, less chaotic, they spent a great deal of time there. They had written down a long list of all of the books they each enjoyed, exchanged them, and were slowly crossing them off. Belle was reading through Paradise Lost while the prince was reading A Midsummer Night's Dream. "Oh good, he's planning on staying for dinner I presume?" He asked casually. Neither of them were bothering to look up from their books, partially because they were both so intrigued by their readings.

"Yes, if that's alright."

"Of course. This will be a good chance to redeem myself in his eyes. I feel … pretty guilty for how I treated him before." David said humbly, his blue eyes shifting from the dusty page to the window. He gazed at his estate before him, remembering who he was just a week ago. Belle looked over at him with concern, hoping to catch his eyes, "You can't haunt yourself with your past. Please don't guilt yourself for your old mistakes." She pleaded. He looked over at her, seeing the worry written all over her face. He reached a hand out toward hers and held it tight. "Thank you." He said gently. She simply smiled and squeezed his hand.

...

"I really wish you had said something sooner, we certainly won't have time for the beef ragout or cheese souffle now." Chef Bouche said a bit irritably. He wrung his hands with concern. Belle had neglected to inform the staff immediately about her father's appearance for dinner. The main staff were all standing about in the kitchen around Belle who had just announced that her father would be arriving in a couple of hours. Mrs. Potts tried her best to reassure both the Chef and Belle, "It'll be just fine, don't you worry dear. Chef, why don't we make the ratatouille? We were going to make it tonight anyway."

"But for a guest? Our guests deserve the best!" Lumiere interrupted, "Ratatouille couldn't possibly be good enough, especially not for as esteemed a guest as our beloved Belle's papá."

"That's very sweet of you, Lumiere. But truly, my father will be overjoyed with whatever is served. I have total confidence in Chef Bouche to make an outstanding meal, whether it is ratatouille or chicken noodle soup." She smiled, giving the chef her vote of confidence. He smiled proudly, "It is true."

"And Mrs. Potts, I know that you're going to make the best tea in all of France."

"Oh well that's very kind of you dear, I don't know if I'd go that far." Mrs. Potts said humbly, not wanting to admit to her talent.

"So don't worry everyone. It's going to be great no matter what. I have total faith in all of you to amaze him like you amazed me." They all beamed proudly. "Except, maybe let him get a chance to actually eat the food." The room burst into a fit of laughter.

...

There was a knock at the door. Belle was still getting dressed by Madam Garderobe. Which meant the prince had to answer the door. He really didn't want to, but he knew he would have to. The rest of his staff was busy preparing for the dinner. David proceeded to the door, and with a slightly shaky hand he grabbed the handle and swung the door open. Maurice stood before him, seeming a bit nervous himself. His eyes had been resting far higher, seemingly expecting the same seven foot tall beast he had seen before. But his eyes started to slip down until he met the prince's.

"Hello," David said, his voice getting a bit raspy and deep with nerves. He found that a side effect of having been under the spell for so long was that instead of his voice getting squeaky or high pitched when he was nervous, it dipped into his old beast tone. He could force it out every once in awhile, but it more or less came without being summoned. "Excuse me." His pale white cheeks flushed ever so slightly as he moved to the side, gesturing in, "Forgive me, please come in, Maurice." It occurred to him too late that it would have been more polite to address him as "monsieur"

Maurice stepped over the threshold, "Why thank you …" He paused and made a couple of muttering sounds before finally articulating, "I don't think I ever learned your name. I'm so sorry. That's incredibly rude of me."

The prince waved it off nonchalantly. He was hardly surprised. When he had been cursed, he almost forget his name. But he made a point of reminding himself who he was every day, if only to make himself suffer more in those dark days. He would stare up at the painting of his family and whisper the name of his mother with affection and curse his and his father's name. "It's David." He finally said after a sufficiently awkward pause.

"A fine name indeed. Well, David, I'm glad to finally meet the real you. Belle's told me just about everything that happened. I apologize for —" Maurice started but David immediately cut him off, again forgetting his decorum, "Don't apologize for anything. If anyone should be apologizing it's me. I should never have treated you the way I did." His eyes pleaded forgiveness.

"You were a different man back then, and not just physically. That man did the wrong thing. The man before me has done only good by my daughter. And if anything, we should all be grateful that you did lock me up. If you hadn't, well, we wouldn't be in the happy place we are today." Maurice said sagely. David smiled slowly, having never considered the positives that had been a result of a chain of events. Was this destiny? Had it all been fate? He wasn't sure. But he knew Maurice was right. But before he could say so, he noticed Maurice suddenly look past David and grin. David followed his gaze toward the stairs where Belle was coming down in an exquisite lavender dress with a plain pleated skirt that draped to the floor. Unlike the more popular dresses of the day and age, she had no masterful ball gown and corset. It was a simple affair for her. Madame Garderobe knew her preferences perfectly.

"Papá!" She cried happily, jogging down the last couple of steps until she could launch herself into her father's arms. She had sent a letter his way after the events the curse was broken, but had not seen him until now.

"Oh, Belle, you look fantastic. You look just like your mother." He said lovingly as he squeezed her in a tight hug before letting her go.

David was stupefied by her. Not by her beauty, but by the happiness shining through every pore of her skin. Her delight at seeing her father and being with David was obvious. She took David's hand then, "Come, I think they might be done getting ready." She suggested, nodding in the direction of the great dining room. The men followed and as they strode in they found that, somehow, they were indeed prepared for them. Cogsworth bowed as they entered the room, "Welcome your majesties. May I seat you?"

"I hardly think that's necessary, Cogsworth." David smiled, a laugh in his tone.

"Well, if you insist." Cogsworth said, seeming a bit offended as he sniffed a bit too loudly. "But the least I can do is seat our guest." He said, pulling a chair out near the head of the table for Maurice, who sat with a gracious, "Thank you."

Little Chip barrelled out from the kitchen then, making a beeline for Maurice as Belle and David sat down. "Hullo, Monsieur Maurice, do you remember me?" He said, barely able to get his words out fast enough.

"Let me take a guess," Maurice said a bit playfully, "You're the little teacup aren't you?"

"That's right! My name's Chip, pleased to make your proper acquaintance Monsieur!" He said, reaching out and shaking the man's hand vigorously. Mrs. Potts came in then, "Sweetheart, you were supposed to just ask if they wanted tea, not go pandering for attention." She laughed as she walked over and picked up her little boy. "As he was supposed to say: Is everybody ready for a spot of tea?" They all agreed in unison.

After they had all been served their tea, David invited Mrs. Potts and Chip to sit with them and enjoy their company. They spent a great deal of time listening to Chip explaining in his innocent childish perspective how all of the previous events had occurred. He obviously was missing a great deal of details, but he was so cute that nobody interrupted.

Finally, it was time for dinner. Lumiere tried to make a big deal out of presentation, but seemed a bit irked that he could no longer put on as spectacular of a show as he did when he was a candelabra. Belle was not surprised to see that their plates were holding ratatouille. She had secretly been hoping for it. Again, once they had been served, David invited all of his friends in the castle to sit with them. They all congregated in the dining room, merrily eating away at the delicious food that the chef had made for everyone. Maurice was thoroughly enjoying himself, getting to know everyone. It was an interesting mix of stories being exchanged. It was very clear to Belle that there could never be a drop of ill will between anyone in the room. Everyone seemed so particularly fond of Maurice, and it thrilled her. Her life couldn't have been more perfect, or so she thought.

…

"I'm sorry, I really cannot stay up any longer." Belle said, standing up from her seat before the fireplace. They had pulled a third chair up to it so that she, David, and her father could chat around the fire after the sun had set. The men were enjoying glasses of brandy and Belle was exhausted. She could also tell that they needed a moment to bond, and they had already had enough brandy that they didn't need her as a conduit to make things more comfortable.

"Oh, it's quite alright, Belle." Maurice said, smiling up at her daughter. David stood to escort her, but she shook her head. "I'll be fine, thank you though. Good night, David." She said kindly, kissing his cheek before heading up the grand staircase to her bedroom.

The fire crackled unnecessarily. The night was not altogether cool, but it was certainly dark enough to need the light. The rest of the castle had retired to their own rooms for the night, so David was unconcerned about his nosy friends eavesdropping on their conversation.

"This is a lovely home you have, David." Maurice said, taking a small sip of his brandy. David thanked him kindly as he sat back down in front of the fire. "I have to ask, is Belle planning on staying here?"

He was put off by the sudden question, gagging a bit on his brandy. "I — I don't know. I was actually hoping to talk about that myself." He didn't realize this was how this was going to happen. He had pictured it a bit differently. "I don't know exactly what her plans are. As far as I can tell, she seems to like it here. I don't know if she wants to head home or stay here. But one way or another, after all that we went through when — well, you know —" He stopped, taking a moment to breathe. He couldn't speak properly. He gave himself a moment to get a grip and finally said, "I would like to have your blessing to marry your daughter. I know it may seem very rushed and sudden, but I truly believe that after all we have been through we've come to know quite a bit about each other." He was talking too fast, so he forced himself to snap his jaw shut before his voice broke into a deep beastly growl.

Maurice was watching him carefully, his expression not revealing anything as he swirled the brandy in his tumbler. David looked up at him, his anxiety obvious in his expression. "I know that your situation is, to say the least, unique. However," He paused, mostly for dramatic effect, before concluding "I see no problem with it. You have my blessing to marry my daughter." He smiled fondly. It was not the liquor talking, Maurice was genuinely happy for them and had suspected this from the letter he had received from his daughter. She had sounded happier than he ever remembered her being. She belonged here, that much was obvious. And Maurice rather liked the idea of having David as a son-in-law. He was clearly a respectful, kind young man. He knew that he would be just the kind of man who could be a good partner to Belle. The two would surely accomplish great things for the kingdom.

* * *

 _Four Months Later_

Leaves were scattered across the bridge as the young couple crossed over the creek in his garden. Summer had faded out and been replaced by a more bracing fall. It was mid October now, and David and Belle were strolling out in the evening sun. Belle had her red cloak on over a soft gray dress. It wasn't cold to David, but he knew she had a tendency to get chilly quite easily. They were walking through the garden, admiring the view. They spoke little. As they walked through the hedges they sat down under the same tree they had many months ago. When he first realized that they may have more in common than he had previously suspected. As she sat down she reached out and held his hand, looking about them at the beauty of the fall colors surrounding them. "We're a bit like them, aren't we?" She asked him without looking away from the leaves bobbing in the breeze above their heads.

He followed her gaze up to the leaves, smiling a bit to himself. "How do you reckon?"

"Change." She said simply. She hardly had to say more, he knew just what she meant.

"I suppose we are then, at least in that way. Our colors have changed." He said softly, watching her in fascination. She finally seemed to come down from her contemplation of the nature around her and looked to him with a soft smile. "For example," He continued, "I never expected to find love. But you changed that." He said, gently squeezing her hand before letting it go. He stood up, facing the tree before them briefly with his back to her. "Change can sometimes be a terrifying thing. But sometimes … well sometimes it's just what we need." He turned to her again, expecting her to say something. But she was simply listening and watching him, looking as if she was trying to decipher what he was saying. After a brief pause he sighed softly and smiled. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his overcoat and got down onto his one knee before her. He expected her to start crying, but she didn't. She simply smiled, not saying a word. He pulled the small box out and opened it carefully. Inside was a silver ring that twisted into a ruby red rose.

"Belle, words truly cannot explain my love for you. No poet, not even the good Bard himself can help me. It would be all too easy to read you a pastoral, tell you that no goddess or queen is as fair as you are. But you are so much more than that. You astound me every day with your brilliance, passion, and kindness. And every day that goes by, I fall more and more in love with you. I want to spend each day with you, watching this love blossom. Belle, will you marry me?" He finally let the words glide right out from between his lips. The scariest part was the one second between the final question mark falling out and her response. It was exactly one second before she said, "Yes. Of course."

His entire body relaxed with relief. He removed the ring and gently placed it upon her ring finger as she held her hand out. Only then did a single tear fall down her cheek. He stood again and she fell into his arms, holding him close. Now she knew, she couldn't get any happier. She had everything she could ever want in this world: family, friends, and the love of her life.


	2. The Bride and the Groom

**A/N: More chapters will follow this one, but you might have to be a bit patient for them. Also, the date is a special gift to my friend who is the reason that I started liking Beauty and the Beast at all - so if you've enjoyed any of my fanfictions about BATB you can thank her!**

* * *

"Rise and shine," A soft, sweet voice called to Belle. She sighed and rubbed at her tired eyes as she sat up in bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mrs. Potts sitting just on the foot of her bed holding a tea tray. "A spot of tea before you start your day, Belle?"

She yawned as she nodded, reaching out and taking the cup and saucer. She sipped the tea politely but could sense Mrs. Potts was dying to say something. "Is something the matter?" Belle implored gently.

Mrs. Potts shook her head, "Oh, no. Nothing dear. I'm just a bit surprised you're not … anxious, is all."

"Anxious, why would I be anxious?" Belle asked after a long sip of tea.

Mrs. Potts started to speak, her brows furrowed, but was struggling to form the words. "Dear, do you not know what today is?"

It was Belle's turn to look confused. She polished off her tea and looked out the window. The sun was shining, as it was expected to in late spring. The sky showed the promise of a warm day. But it didn't seem especially marked or different than usual. Perhaps Mrs. Potts meant the calendar date. Belle tried to recall what day it had been yesterday. She didn't usually keep track of such things. She had no job that adhered to a weekly schedule, really no rhyme or reason between each day. Each day was unique, and she had room to decide what to do every day when she woke up. But then it finally dawned on her. "Wait, it can't be May 22nd already, can it?"

Mrs. Potts smiled, relieved that Belle had finally figured it out, "Yes it is dear."

Belle's eyes widened at an alarming rate, her pupils dilating.

"Now, now, dear. Relax. Everything is going to be alright!" Mrs. Potts said, gently taking the teacup and saucer from her hand before she dropped it and it fell to the floor and broke. She placed the tea tray on the night table and sat back down closer to Belle. "We are all ready. Nothing will go wrong, I promise. Audrey has the dress waiting for you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was hovering outside the door with it right now. The garden has been arranged, as has the ballroom. Chef Bouche is cooking the meal already. You have nothing to worry about. We've got it all under control." She assured Belle with a comforting smile.

"You're sure?" Belle said anxiously. They had insisted on taking care of everything for her, what they hadn't expected was that she would actually forget it was happening. Without having to worry about planning your wedding, it was very easy to imagine it wasn't happening at all. Especially when it had been ten months since their engagement, and close to a year since the curse had been broken.

"Positive. Now, first thing's first, let's get you to the bath." Mrs. Potts reminded her. Indeed, it was customary to bathe before the wedding. Not just for the sake of cleanliness, but to wash away past loves. Of course, Belle had no past loves. But she liked to think she was going to be washing away something else entirely. Belle climbed out of bed walked with Mrs. Potts down the hall to the lavish bathroom. Madame Garderobe was indeed ready for them, and sat on a small cushioned bench just outside the bathroom, ready for Belle when she was done. Mrs. Potts reminded Belle once more that everything was going to be okay before leaving her.

Belle slipped into the bathroom. It was almost as big as her bedroom. A gigantic bathtub filled a corner of the room. She turned the faucets on and let the tub fill, throwing in a few soap shavings to get bubbles. She quickly slid out from her clothes and into the soothing water. She briefly thought that she had better not shut her eyes or she would certainly fall asleep and accidentally drown. And she wasn't particularly fond of the idea of drowning to death on her wedding day.

Belle devoted little attention to actually cleaning off, and instead sprawled out in the tub and briefly meditated on what the water was washing away. While she had no past loves to forget and leave in the past, she did have some regrets she wanted to clean off her skin and out of her life. While she couldn't forget it if she tried, she let the waters wash away the terror she had felt when she first saw David, when he was a beast. She was washing away the misunderstanding she had had of him, and the misunderstanding he had had of her. Things had changed so much, and she was excited to enter into a long life of marriage with him. She thought briefly of Gaston, glad to be washing away all the memories that existed of him — few of which were pleasant. While none of this could have happened without his dark involvement in her life, she wished he had never met her.

With her worries and regrets washed away, Belle rose from the bath. She pulled the stopper away from the drain, briefly watching the water swirl with a little smile of amusement before stepping out of the tub and wrapping herself in a fluffy towel. She cracked the bathroom door open a bit and murmured, "Should I follow you somewhere, or should I just dress in here?" Belle asked Audrey, who still sat on the bench. She stood now, handing a folded piece of fabric to Belle, "Put this on and meet me in my room."

Belle took it and shut the door as Audrey disappeared down the hall. She unfolded it and realized that it was a silk chemise. Embroidered over the heart was a rose with "B & D" in one of the petals. Madame Garderobe spared no detail. Belle put her hair up in the towel and slipped on the chemise. While she was hardly naked, she still felt exposed as she stepped barefoot down the carpeted hall toward Audrey's room. She knew that everyone was likely busy with wedding arrangements, but she was moderately terrified that someone would bump into her and be shocked at her chemise. The silk certainly made it feel more scandalous that it needed to. She knocked on the door quickly and was ushered in right away by Madame Garderobe.

The bedroom had seemingly morphed into a closet. There were dresses thrown about everywhere, and plenty of other beauty paraphernalia piled onto the bureau. "Are you excited?" Audrey asked as she walked around the room, apparently looking for something.

"Yes." Belle said with a little smile, "But mostly anxious."

"Well, they say a bride is not truly a bride until she is in her dress. Let's see if it can't transform you today." She said as she reached for a covered dress that was draped over the bed. The dress was covered by a large sheet so she could not see it yet. "Now, slip out of that, and we'll get you into this and see how it fits," Audrey asked politely, moving over to a massive seven-foot tall mirror in the corner of her room. Belle followed and did as requested, slipping out of the chemise with a little shyness. "Dear, there's no need to be worried. I've dressed a hundred women. You cannot surprise me." This actually reassured Belle quite a bit. She stood bare before the mirror and Audrey. She tried not to look at her reflection, and instead turned her attention to the dress in Audrey's arms. She tugged the sheet off and revealed the stunning dress beneath. It was white with gorgeous red roses printed across the folds of fabric.

Audrey kneeled and held the dress open. Belle quietly stepped into the opening in the fabric, taking hold of it and slowly pulling it up and over her body. She slipped her arms through the translucent three quarter length sleeves as Audrey zipped up the seamless zipper along the back. "Now, what do you think?" Audrey said from behind her, watching Belle's reaction in the reflection of the mirror.

"What do I think?" Belle grinned wide, "Oh, it's beautiful. It's more than I ever would have expected. Thank you so much." She enthused. She felt more like a bride, although the towel sitting atop her head was tainting the image a bit. Audrey had noticed Belle glanced up at her towering towel hair and laughed, "Don't worry, I'll take care of that too. Let me just make a few alterations, and we'll get started on the hair."

Within an hour, Belle was in her perfectly fitted dress with her hair done up in a chignon, slowly air drying. Audrey had dusted a small amount of face powder on and brushed on a small amount of lip stain. She needed very little to enhance her natural beauty. "One last thing," Madame Garderobe insisted, walking over to her bureau that had now been tidied a bit of the makeup and accessories that had polluted it. She had a vase of wildflowers that Maestro had brought her, and she plucked out a small stem of tiny white flowers out. She tucked it neatly within the chignon at the back of Belle's head, "See, isn't that lovely?" She asked, holding up a handheld mirror so that Belle coulnever d see it. She nodded, appreciating the little detail. Audrey guided her back toward the mirror. "Alright, what do you think of the final look?"

Her reflection certainly was kinder now that she was cleaned up and her hair had been tidied away. In a flash, she saw herself at the "altar" in the garden. She gasped slightly, a hand covering her mouth. A flood of thoughts overwhelmed her. But the one that shouted louder than the rest was Maman will see this day. Her eyes began to well up with tears. Audrey seemed to understand what was the matter, turning Belle around and holding her tight. "Hush, girl, hush. This is going to be the happiest day of your life. She will be there in spirit. I know she will." Of course, they all knew very well that Belle still missed her maman greatly, despite losing her very young. Belle took a steady breath and collected herself. Audrey was right. She had to believe that somehow her Maman was with her today.

"Alright," Audrey said, taking a deep breath of her own, "Let's get you in those shoes over there and get you downstairs. The boys should be done with David now." She gestured to the low heels sitting by the door that Belle had not noticed. They were white with little gold flowers decorating them. She slipped into them, finding them only slightly uncomfortable. Thankfully, the heel was low enough that she would be able to manage them alright. A soft knock came to the door, and since Belle was already right beside it, so she opened it. Lumiere stood there, "Ah!" He said as he caught sight of the bride in her gown, "Mademoiselle, you look exquisite. You'll surely leave the prince speechless. Speaking of whom, he is ready as is the garden. The guests are arriving there as we speak."

Audrey appeared at Belle's side, opening the door wider, "Are Chip and Sophie ready?"

"Yes, both are dressed as instructed and waiting in the garden."

"Send in Angela and Maestro then, would you Lumiere? I need to dress her, and he will need to assist in dressing me." She explained. Belle could only assume the massive hoop skirt lying on the floor across the room was for Audrey's dress. She always did dress extravagantly for performances.

"Yes, I'll send them," Lumiere said, hustling off down the hall.

Audrey gestured to the hall, "Head downstairs, Maurice should be waiting for you."

"You do have this all perfectly organized, don't you?" Belle asked.

"Yes, we do. Now, go on." Audrey insisted, waving Belle off.

She did as asked and headed down the main staircase. As soon as she was stepping down, she noticed her father waiting at the foot of the stairs. He turned and looked up at her and smiled widely. He remembered the day he married her mother then, and only found it fitting that her dress was patterned with elegant roses. Although he supposed, that likely had more to do with her romance with David and the enchanted rose than with her mother. Belle finally made it down the last step, laughing a bit with delight as she reached out and hugged her father tight.

"You look wonderful dear." He said sweetly before letting her go. "Are you ready?" He asked, not able to hide his own excitement. He had once imagined this day when he had held her as a young infant. He had never expected it to happen. He was relieved she had lived this long period, much less that she was going to marry her true love. It was every father's sincerest wish for his children that they find true happiness — and so she had.

"I am." She said confidently, finally believing it. She was so ready to be married to David, to start their lives together.

"Well," He said, glancing up at the top of the stairs where Madame Garderobe gave him the signal, "I have something that I brought you, a sort of wedding gift, but it's in the ballroom. Would you like to go see it?"

"Yes, of course." She said, following her father into the ballroom. When they stepped inside the grand ballroom, Maurice quietly and without notice shut the door partway with his foot. Belle was too distracted by what was sitting in the middle of the ballroom to notice. She gasped and ran toward it, "Papa! It's marvelous!" She cried out as she gazed at the massive, six-foot tall grandfather clock. Engraved in the wood were little images of her time in the castle: a little teacup next to a little boy, the pawprint of a beast, a handsome young prince, a beautiful young woman, a candelabra and a small clock. All of the images flowed up and along the grandfather clock masterfully, weaving in and out of each other with ease. Upon incredibly close inspection, the pendulum's circular end had a rose engraved on it. She had hardly expected any gift from her father at all, let alone this. "I don't know what to say." She said with a small smile, glancing from her father to his wonderful work.

"You need not say anything." He assured her, accepting another hug from his daughter as gratitude enough.

Meanwhile, Madame Garderobe shuffled David down the stairs, "Don't you say a word. Get yourself in place in the garden." She instructed him in a hushed whisper, not that anyone could have possibly heard her from in the ballroom. David hurried down the stairs, his friends of the castle following close behind. Madame Garderobe was the last to head for the front door and tapped her heel sharply on the marble floor before slipping out. Maurice heard it distantly and smiled, "Well, I think everyone's ready, Belle. I'll ask one more time, are you ready?"

Belle took this question with a little more consideration than she had before. Were there any last doubts or concerns she wanted to share with her father? He was so good at giving her advice. But she found that she had nothing to worry herself about. She smiled, shaking her head slightly. Maurice frowned, "You're not ready."

"Oh, no, not that. I just realized that there's nothing that worries me about this. I know that this is what I want, and I know he will make me happy." Belle assured him. "Let's go."

And so Maurice offered his arm, and Belle took it, and the two headed out of the front doors toward the garden.

Maestro Cadenza apparently was just as capable of playing the harp as he was at playing the piano, and was strumming at the chords at the opening of the garden as Belle and Maurice headed down the aisle between the chairs. Their friends from in town and in the castle managed to take up 150 seats. But Belle didn't notice them. She didn't notice that there were rose petals scattered on the grass and Sophie sat in one of the nearby seats with an empty basket. It didn't register with her that Mrs. Potts was standing just behind David, waiting to wed the two together. All Belle could see was David. She had never seen him so handsome. His golden brown hair was curled slightly on the sides and held back by a blue ribbon that matched his intricately designed coat. Again, he took her breath away.

And yet again, she took his breath away as well.

Belle hardly noticed Maurice let go of her arm and take his place in the front row beside Monsieur Potts. She stood in front of David, taking his hands in hers. She smiled serenely as if rather than being filled to the brim with excitement she was simply at peace. David looked the picture of calm as well. And while both were completely enamored and enraptured with each other, they were able to spare enough attention to hear Mrs. Potts speak:

"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Belle and David. If anybody should have any reason to object to this marriage," She paused, glancing around the crowd, "Just keep it to yourself. They've waited long enough for this." Everybody laughed because it was true. It was also ludicrous that anybody would object. Everybody in town admired and loved them, and were eager to see them happily married. After an appropriate pause for the laughter, Mrs. Potts continued, "I believe you each have your own vows?" She said pointedly toward David.

David nodded toward her before turning back to his fiancé, "Belle." The corner of his smile tilted a bit in a smirk, "Doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love you." Her heart thrilled at the quotation, "I am forever grateful that you taught me to love again. I vow to you that this marriage will only further unite us as a team. I vow to support you through all of your endeavors, to hold your hand when life is challenging, and to grow in mind and spirit with you."

Belle privately thought how pathetic her vows were by comparison. But despite how nervous she was, she reminded herself that all that mattered was that he heard her vows; that he knew just how she felt. And so she spoke, "David, thank you for opening yourself to me and giving our love the opportunity to grow. No matter what happens, my loyalty to you will never waver, and my admiration of your bravery and kindness will not lessen. I firmly believe that the ones that we love never leave us, and so I refuse to believe that death will separate us. So instead I vow to love and cherish you until the ends of time itself." She squeezed his hands firmly as a physical reminder of her words. David was beaming with joy, as was Belle.

Belle heard a soft noise and glanced over to see Mrs. Potts trying to hold back tears. She took a moment to collect herself before saying, "David and Belle, now that you have committed yourself to each other with your vows I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your partner." Mrs. Potts let a tear fall down her cheek.

But the young lovers were without tears as they kissed, sealing their marriage in front of everyone that they loved.


End file.
